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Arena 09
Setting Basement The Tributes are raised on their platforms into a dimly-lit parking lot, largely, but not entirely, devoid of cars. The ceiling hangs low, and despite the vast open space and the perfect temperature, the lot feels claustrophobic. White and yellow lines are painted not to mark parking spaces, but instead to give each Tribute a 'lane' for the two hundred-meter dash towards the Cornucopia at the center. Some Tributes are unfortunate enough to have a cement pillar in their lane, and may suffer from diminished visibility of the prize. On the far north and the far south end, three elevators each are set underneath bright red 'EXIT' signs. There are stairwells at each of the four corners of the lot, too, but the doors to them are all locked. It would take superhuman strength or serious skill with lock-picking to open them up. There are six cars scattered around the periphery of the parking lot. The cars are locked; however, once inside a Tribute might find a key in the glove compartment, as well as the tank already filled with gas. The Cornucopia sits in the center, spilling with both weapons and supplies. Once the Tributes get into an elevator, they're given the options for several floors. First Floor The first floor opens up to a gigantic mezzanine, with empty cattle-stall lines in front of an unpopulated ticket desk. Stairs lead to a lowered center of the floor, where a meteor the size of a car sits atop a pedestal. Standing posters around the floor describe various scientific truths about outer space, from describing the role of the sun in creating gravity to detailing the unsolved mysteries of black holes. A bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt sits on one of the benches around the meteor. A faded pair of painted footprints a few feet away indicate the ideal position to take a souvenir photograph. A plaque on the bench states that this is the Theodorus Roosevelar Natural History Museum. A small cafe sits near the meteor. An exploration behind the counter will reveal plenty of ground coffee, approximately a hundred pastries, boxes of tiny creamers, and more packets of aspartame than anyone could hope to use. Like most of the museum, the first floor is not well lit. While there are large windows that allow for natural light, they are dirty and the curtains are drawn low. There is a smattering of dust on every surface in the building, although not enough to be too much of a problem to those without allergies. At the end of each day, a voice over the intercom announces a thirty minute, ten minute and five minute warning that the museum is closing. While some electronic functions in the museum work, the lights in general do not, nor do any phones or computers the Tributes may stumble across. Second Floor Over a hundred dioramas of ancient cultures and wild animals populate the second floor. Life-size wax and plastic figures of people, taxidermied animals and painted backdrops create little spaces meant to replicate far-off places and cultures. Bear cubs climb a tree; an ancient Korean family made of wax launder their clothes; a blue whale battles to the death with a giant squid; plastic Visigoth warriors polish their weapons. The plants in these dioramas are edible, as long as they aren't poisonous in their native environment. The marble eyes of the taxidermied animals seem to follow the Tributes. In addition to dioramas, wall displays show off ancient weaponry, jewelry and textiles behind fragile glass cases, and a little button next to each descriptive plaque sets off an auditory tour. Examples of artwork from around the world decorate the walls, and a massive carved canoe from a Northwest Pacific Native American tribe hangs from the ceiling. The floor is organized by continent, excluding Antarctica. No information here seems up-to-date past the year 2010 A.D., but a keen eye might notice that the plaques have names of famous people and events changed to have a more Panemian flair (for example, Attilus the Hun instead of Attila). The second floor is also home to the gift shop, themed after the Tributes. Here one could find, for example, collectible troll figurines, t-shirts declaring TEAM WESKIMUS and TEAM WAXIMUS, Starfleet and les Amis d'ABC pins, or stuffed dolls of Donatello and Orc, if they were to look for them. A coin-press machine stamps pennies with an image of President Snow. The gift shop is equipped with a motion-sensitive security system that sends off blaring alarms if the shop is entered after the museum's closing time each night. Third Floor The hall of human evolution begins here. Fossils of humanity's ancestors are propped up in cases, and various interactive exhibits about evolution are still working. A painting of man's progress from amorphous microscopic blob to homo sapiens takes up a good chunk of the wall opposite the north elevators. This floor features a replication of both a tarpit (featuring real tar!) and of a volcano, about twenty feet tall, in the largest chamber of the floor. A child-oriented display next to the volcano describes famous eruptions of volcanoes around the world, but assures the reader not to worry, because the Theodorus Roosevelar volcano is dormant! The gem hall, a dark and bizarrely-shaped nook in the corner of the level, is also located here. Pitch black except for the lights that shine within each glass case on thousands of gems and precious stones, the room may seem an ideal place to hide and rest. The floor here is uneven, and carpet-covered pillars with dead TV screens that once displayed films about jade and amethyst rise up to the ceiling. Each room in the gem hall has at least two, if not three uncovered entrances, however, and as tantalizing as the layout is it would be impossible to fortify. One of the televisions in the gem hall is still working. A dry voice narrates the history of the American gold rush; however, every few hours, if watched closely, the film will briefly switch to a map of each floor of the museum, with little red dots indicating where other Tributes are hiding in the museum. The cafeteria is right next to the elevator on this floor, rather than a cafe. Specializing in overpriced sandwiches and soups, it contains no shortage of bread, pasta and dairy, and a working refrigerator and freezer populated by meats, frozen vegetables and ice cream. All cooking ware is in working order, but Tributes will need to start their own fire to get the gas stove to light. Fourth Floor The fourth floor houses every kid's favorite part of the museum: the fossil hall of dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals. Huge dinosaur skeletons tower over Tributes. Plenty of the former Arena's most popular muttations, including Disneyland's dragon (head not included), also have skeletons on this floor too, with child-friendly displays lauding the creativity and expertise of the Capitol's genetic engineers. A keen, educated eye may be able to glean some useful information from the descriptions here. During the day, a large movie screen on this floor is stuck perpetually displaying a video about the difference between a genus and a species. When the museum is 'closed', the screen shows footage of the Tributes in the Capitol having private conversations, some of which are quite incriminating. Fifth Floor The crown jewels of the museum, the Planetarium and IMAX theaters, are located on the fifth floor. The Planetarium, vast and dark, not only has a telescope that can view up into space, but has an interactive computer system that can display and highlight constellations from any given year. Currently, the system is down, but the hardware is still lying about for any resourceful, tech-savvy Tribute. The IMAX theater has a variety of movies, ranging from films about earthquakes to documentaries about the deep sea and outer space, and a random one begins every hour that the museum is 'open'. In front of the theater entrance, a digital number, starting at 50, counts down as each film finishes. There is a display about bioluminescence on this level inside the IMAX theater. At night the floor will glow with natural sources of light, from rocks to jellyfish, encased in glass right under the Tributes' feet. Sixth Floor The sixth floor is by far the best lit, as it receives natural light through the huge skylights, which make the ceiling look almost as if it's one large window. The sixth floor is home to a sprawling wax museum, featuring perfect replicas of Tributes who've fallen and never gotten back up in the Never-Ending Quell. Neeshka, Asha Greyjoy, Javert, Draco Malfoy, Orphaner Dualscar, Riddick; all of them stand at attention, dressed in the last Tribute outfit they ever wore. With glass eyes they stare into space in their exhibits, sidled by little plaques that serve as both a brief synopsis of their time at the Games and an obituary. Occasionally, if one's mind wanders, they might look up and see that the wax statues seemed to have moved ever so slightly. The sixth floor also ha a small, one-story stairwell that leads to the roof. Unlike the roof at the Tribute Center, there's no forcefield here to protect you if you were to fall off the edge. Furthermore, the skylights are sturdy but not indestructible, and too much weight could send someone crashing down through the glass. Supplies Available Fresh Water Sources: All tap and fountain water is potable. Most floors have multiple drinking fountains. Available Natural Food Sources: The contents of the deserted cafeteria and cafes for as long as the food is good before spoiling, most of the plants in the exhibits. Each floor has a cafe, and the cafeteria is on the third floor. Cornucopia Items: Supplies 26 Unmarked Watertight Bags; contents unknown 10 vials of neurotoxin 6 tents 12 fire-starting kits 8 folding knives 4 Swiss army knives 6 sleeping bags 2 lengths of rope 10 first-aid kits 2 crossbows with ten bolts each in a quiver 2 boxes of forty .38 bullets Hazards The Elevators: While the elevators themselves won't kill you, the ding whenever they reach a new floor will announce your presence to anyone on the current level. Furthermore, given that there are only six of them and that awkward small talk may very well end with a knife in your throat, you may need to start figuring out better ways to get from floor to floor without risking running into your enemies. The Masks: Any of the masks in the culture exhibits can be removed from their case and placed on your head, which activates potent - and unsettling - Capitol technology. For approximately ten minutes, wearers who had superpowers before coming to Panem will find themselves with their abilities returned; those who entered as 'normals' will have their natural speed and strength multiplied many times over, and gain the ability to see in the dark. Unfortunately, after the ten minutes are up, hooks hidden inside the face of the mask will attach to the Tribute's face, rendering removal both painful and physically scarring. And if you use the masks too often, you may find yourself having a few extreme problems with impulse control and anger management... The Fire Alarm: Sensitive to even the slightest whiff of smoke, the fire alarm has a tendency to go off seemingly at a whim. Aside from being a noisy, flashy nuisance, it sets off the sprinklers, which release not water but liquid nitrogen that can leave a Tribute with horrible, potentially fatal, cold burns. The Intercom: Aside from announcing when the museum opens and closes and which Tributes are dead, the intercom has the nasty habit of telling everybody who killed which Tribute and the gory details of how - and of not checking the facts first. Announcements occur thirty minutes after closing each day. The Fossils: Something's not quite right in the prehistoric mammal section of the fossil hall; so far it's just been strange beeping noises, but who knows what the Capitol is up to? Attire Tributes are dressed in extremely comfortable pajamas and bare feet. Men are placed in a two-piece, while women enjoy the snug warmth of a onesie. Trivia * Rather than being delivered via parachute, in this Arena Sponsor items can be found in the elevators with a note designating the intended recipient. The ding for a regulator elevator use and the ding for a Sponsor gift are different. Similarly, rather than showing a face in the sky, the deaths of each Tribute are announced via intercom. Category:Arenas